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Hospitality Ministry Training

By Terri Briseno ; Updated September 29, 2017

An inviting table welcomes guests.

Serving in a hospitality ministry is a calling to make church visitors feel so welcome they want to come back. Learning about the facility and drawing on a person's natural warmth to connect with others are facets of training for a hospitality team.

Greeting

Providing a word of greeting or a handshake to guests--whether first-time visitors or returning members-- lets people know they're welcome. Greeters answer general questions about the church and pass out bulletins. Training is a matter of being personable and attentive with eye contact and a smile.

Seating

Having a greeter who seats guests in sections accommodating the number of people in their party adds more personalization to a visit. Knowing the layout of the sanctuary and the seating of regular attendees is an area of training for hospitality ministries. Directing guests to sit where they choose also provides a form of welcome into the space.

Refreshments

Food and drink go a long way toward creating a welcoming environment. Training a hospitality minister includes an orientation of the building and its kitchen equipment. Making an urn of coffee or arranging a plate of baked goods is another area of service that benefits from training.

Blessing

Following up with guests after a church service often adds a quality of care that completes the quieter time of the preceding sermon. Training a hospitality team to hold open the doors and share a parting word or blessing sets a tone of invitation for future visits and increased participation. Letting guests come and go without a greeting or farewell is likely to create a feeling of being unnoticed or excluded.

About the Author

Terri Briseno has been a professional editor and writer since 1991. She has contributed articles and website reviews for the online Encyclopaedia Britannica and Britannica Elementary, and has crafted aerospace engineering documentation for GE Aviation. Briseno has a Bachelor of Science in English from Saint Joseph's College, and she is a licensed practical nurse.